Differential Diagnosis
by sum1calledjo
Summary: House gets a new addition to his team.
1. Chapter 1

A few things I need to point out before you start to read my story.

1. I have only seen season 1 and 2 of House, therefore if events seem out of place with something that happens later on, ie a character leaves, starts a relationship or whatever, it obviously wont apply to this story.

2. I try to avoid most of the medical terminology stuff since I'm not a Doctor and therefore do not know what I am talking about. However, if there is something drastically wrong ie with symptopns i have described or anything I have misunderstood I would be grateful if it is pointed out so I can ammend anything. I do try to reseach as much as I can.

3. There is an assumed ChaseXCameron relationship going on in this story. Just so you know.

4. Disclaimer: I do not own House. I am a fan. Writing a Fanfiction. I have however completely invented Sam. She is not a character of the TV series.

5. Please comment. Please?

* * *

House looked up as a young woman entered the clinic

House looked up as a young woman entered the clinic. He watched as she approached a passing nurse, and overheard her young voice ask for Dr. Cuddy. As the nurse pointed out Cuddy's office, House took in the woman's appearance. She was slim, with long dark hair tied back in a ponytail. Her dark brown eyes shone with her bright smile. She was dressed smart enough to look professional, but casual enough to indicate that she was laidback, and not, thought House appreciatively, a "kiss-ass".

She made for Cuddy's office, and House, throwing aside a patient file, followed. He limped round the corner and towards the door, noticing the brunette ahead of him, greeting Lisa Cuddy with an enthusiastic handshake. He didn't hesitate at all; he burst through the door without bothering to knock, causing Cuddy's smile to disappear in a second.

"House!" She snarled. The young Brunette turned in his direction. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Actually that's exactly what I saw." He stated, matter-of-factly. "I felt I just had to join the fun."

Cuddy sighed, and addressed the young woman in front of her.

"Allow me to introduce Dr. Gregory House, head of the Diagnostics apartment: the best doctor we have and the biggest pain in the ass." Cuddy sighed in his direction. "House, this is Doctor Samantha Mathews, the new member of your team."

House frowned.

"Since when did I need a fourth member to my team?"

"Since the department gained more money enabling it to expand in order to accommodate more specialist doctors. Dr. Mathews specialises in Paediatrics."

"_Kids_?" House asked wondrously. He turned to the younger woman. "You specialise in _kids_?"

"House, she's on your team and that's that." Cuddy cut in before Sam had a chance to answer. "You're going to have to like it or lump it."

When the two of them left Cuddy's office, House plunged straight into interrogation mode.

"Are you a good Doctor?"

"I guess." Sam answered as honestly as she could. "I'm not too sure."

"You either are, or you aren't." House growled at her. "You have to be prepared to blow your own horn. I am a good Doctor. I know I am. Everyone in this hospital knows I am, so they listen to me."

They entered the clinic waiting area, very nearly full of waiting patients. House took Sam by the arm and directed her to a waiting group.

"Diagnose them."

He waited for her to protest, to insist that each patient must be seen separately in an examination room, but instead she quizzed each patient about his or her symptoms. She diagnosed two Colds, Tonsillitis, a sprained wrist and possible food poising in five minutes before asking House:

"Are you happy yet?"

He looked at her.

"Conference room is upstairs."

He limped away, knowing he had found a good doctor.

* * *

More soon!


	2. Chapter 2

Samantha Amelia Mathews brought something to House's team that he never realised was missing until she came to work for him. He couldn't point it out exactly, but he felt a great sense of calm every time she spoke. When solving one of their many puzzles he felt the pressure rise due to the fact he was desperate to show her what he could do, though he badgered her and pushed her near to breaking point when he knew she could do it.

House wasn't the only one who felt a change in Sam's presence. Sam and Alison Cameron had formed a seemingly unbreakable friendship in the space of a week. The two were rarely apart, and House found it somewhat irritating to find them both twittering away about some male nurse or a TV show they have the same liking for.

Chase, on the other hand, seemed to be keeping his distance, but more than once House had caught him staring at Sam with a love-struck expression on his face, much to Cameron's annoyance.

Forman took Sam firmly under his wing, and the two formed a strong bond one particular lunch break when Forman produced an article he had been working on examining Neurological problems commonly found in children.

House was right in thinking she'd do well with cases concerning children; a seven year old boy was admitted to their care less then a month after Sam started. She successfully gained the trust of both the boy's parents and the kid himself, enabling House and the rest of his team to investigate the illness with very little interruptions. Chase and Cameron searched the family home, and the puzzle was solved when the young boy opened up to Sam about the new friends he had in school who had given him foreign sweets, sweets that had caused a near death allergic reaction.

The following case was as much of a doddle, the girl was twelve and had a tumour set into her brain. Not surprising to House, the girls parents thanked Sam after she broke the news that the girl had six months at the most left to live.

All this in mind, House was confident that again, with Sam now on the team, there would be little or no problems concerning ethics or anything else along those lines as he approached the conference room with another case in hand; Cuddy had pounced on him the minute he entered the hospital. The patient was another young boy, this time nine years old, brought in by his mother and sister.

"Nine year old boy." House announced as he entered the room to find all four members of his team sat at the glass table. He threw the file in front of Sam who picked it up again immediately. She began to throw out ideas to House who was scribbling on the whiteboard, with Cameron, Chase and Forman beating down certain theories and agreeing to others. As soon as they had narrowed down some ideas House sent them to run the usual tests and take the usual body samples.

Sam and Chase were heading in the direction of the patients room when a woman and a man, both dressed in formal suits, turned the corner. Sam stopped still, she recognised the woman.

"Sam?" Chase enquired. "Are you ok?"

"Chase can you get Cameron or Forman to help you with the MRI?" Sam asked him, her eyes still on the woman coming towards her. "I have a feeling I'm not going to be available for a while."

"Yeah, sure." Chase took the patient file from her. "I'll see you later then."

He passed the people approaching Sam, and as he turned the corner heard them say:

"Samantha Mathews? I'm afraid I have some bad news…"

Chase was thinking about Sam as he continued down another corridor, so he didn't see the escaped patient who was waving a syringe around until he walked right into him. He felt the needle pierce his skin, and as he fell to the floor the darkness drove both Sam and the patients MRI out of his mind.

* * *

House rounded a corner to find Sam leaning against the wall outside the lift, staring into space.

"Tests were clear." He said as the lift doors slid open. "Come on."

Sam followed obediently, not saying a word.

"I take it the MRI was clean?"

"Mmm." Sam bit at a nail on her left hand, not listening to a word House was saying. The lift reached their floor and they both continued back to the conference room, where both Cameron and Forman were sat waiting.

"So, tests negative, and we're one man down." House gestured towards Chases' empty chair. "Any more ideas? Come on, differential diagnosis people!"

"What happened to him?"

"What?" House stared at Sam.

"Chase. Where is he?"

"Attacked by a patient." Forman explained. "Injected him with a sleeping drug. Knocked him out for a while."

"But…"

"Sam, Chase is not our patient so he is not our concern." House said irritably, tapping the whiteboard with his pen.

"He was on his way to do the MRI!"

House stopped tapping and stared at her. Forman had been about to take a sip of coffee but his hand froze halfway to his lips. Cameron was frowning.

"I thought everything was clear?"

"I didn't do anything, I was-"

"You told me the MRI was clean." House said loudly.

"What? No I-"

"When we came up in the lift-"

Sam groaned.

"I wasn't listening to you!"

House opened his mouth to retort angrily when his pager beeped. He glanced at it just as Cameron, Forman and Sam were also paged.

"Crap." House muttered, throwing aside the black pen and heading for the door. "Kid's gone into respiratory distress."


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm so sorry."

Sam winced as she overhead Cameron breaking the bad news to the boys Mother and Sister. The boy had died. They had all tried in vain to save him. House insisted it wasn't Sam's fault, that even if they had done the scan its doubtful whatever they saw would have predicted this.

Cameron left the two grieving women in the room alone, and joined House and Sam who had been looking in through the glass walls.

"This is all my fault." Sam whispered.

"Don't be thick." House growled at her, taking his pill bottle out of his pocket and dry swallowing a Vicodin.

"If I had…" Sam broke off, not knowing what she could have done.

"Sam, don't beat yourself up." Cameron consoled her friend. "Mistakes are made, but we get over them because we have to."

"Am I hearing this right?"

The three doctors turned to face the tear stained face of the boy's sister, glaring at them.

"My brother is dead because she" She gestured at Sam. "Screwed up?!"

"You don't understand…" Cameron started, but she didn't get any further because the woman stepped up to Sam and slapped her hard across the face.

"You bitch!"

House grabbed the woman as she screamed at Sam, and pushed her towards the security guard who had come running.

"You killed him! You killed my brother!"

Her cries faded as she was escorted out of the hospital. House turned back to Sam who hadn't moved, not even when she had been hit. The side of her face was an angry red, and her eyes were glistening with tears.

"Cameron, go and check on Chase, see if he's awake yet." House ordered quietly. She gave Sam a small smile and headed off down the corridor.

"You'd better come with me." He said to Sam.

They headed towards his office, Sam staying one pace behind, looking at the floor and not saying a word. House kept glancing sideways at her, but she never caught his eye.

He pushed open his office door and took his seat behind his desk, gesturing at the seat in front of him.

"Sit."

She sat, still not looking at him.

"I need to know what happened in order for you to send Chase to do the MRI by himself."

Sam sniffed.

"If you made a mistake-"

"I'm a lousy Doctor."

"Don't be thick." House snapped at her. "You're a brilliant Doctor. You made a mistake, so what? Everyone does."

"And everyone lies." Sam said quietly. House smiled.

"So what happened?"

"My…" Sam swallowed. "I had a visit from…my family liaison officer."

"Your what? Your husband steal a car or something?"

"I don't have a husband." Sam said firmly. "She…it was about my mum."

House raised his eyebrows.

"She was put in prison when I was a kid. Only…only she died. Last night."

House bit back the questions he was dying to ask – Why was she in prison? How did she die? – And instead whispered:

"I'm sorry."

"They approached me just as Chase and I were off to do the MRI. I told Chase to carry on…"

"…but he got himself attacked." House finished. "How thoughtful of him."

"I screwed up." Sam whispered to her hands clasped in her lap.

"No, you were distracted." House said firmly but quietly. "Understandably so. You had just been informed of your mother's death, quite right that you should fall off track."

He watched her closely, and noticed the redness of her cheek had only very slightly begun to fade.

"How's the bruise?" He asked her. "That was some hit."

"It's fine." She muttered. House noticed, from watching closely, she had been speaking out the other side of her mouth.

"You need a bag of peas or something." He said, getting awkwardly to his feet. "That's gotta hurt."

He limped out the office towards the little refrigerator, and returned with a cold flannel.

"Not quite frozen but hey, I do my best." He said, grinning at her. "Stand up, let me take a look."

She stood in front of him. He dropped his cane and rested all his weight on his good leg. He gently wiped away a strand of her hair, then carefully pressed the cold flannel against her face. She winced, hissing in pain.

"Sorry." He whispered, removing it and slowly tracing the redness with his finger. "You'll have a good bruise there tomorrow."

She looked into his brilliant blue eyes as he replaced the cold flannel against her cheek.

"Thank you." She whispered. He held her gaze for just a moment, but then turned his attention back to her cheek.

"She had no right to hurt you." He said quietly, his eyes on the flannel that covered the redness.

"She had just been told her brother had died." Sam said sadly. "She had every right."

"You were told your Mom had died earlier. Does that mean you have the right to come along and shoot me?"

"It's different."

"It's the same damn thing."

Sam pulled his hand away from her face and stepped back, turning towards the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sam, wait." House hobbled over to her. "Please tell me you don't believe you deserved this?"

Sam didn't answer; instead she looked down at the floor.

House took another shaky step forward. He slowly raised a hand and gently touched the side of her face. He tilted her chin, so that she was looking up at him.

"Sam?"

She didn't answer. His hand dropped back to his side, and he looked away. He felt her hand grasp his briefly, but then she was gone, out the door and down the corridor.

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More soon...please review!


	4. Chapter 4

A big thankyou to SwiftDragonfly for the reviews!

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House barged into the office.

"Jimmy, need a word."

James Wilson looked up from the form he was completing. Greg House had an unbelievably accurate habit of interrupting at the worst possible moments. More than once he had barged in on Wilson's meeting with patients, and even cut across the wall that separated their office balconies from each other. He often wanted advice, even if he denied it, but he wasn't so quick at dishing it out. He was deffinatly the last person you'd think of going to if you needed someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on.

Wilson sighed.

"Can't it wait?" He asked his extremely impatient friend.

"Nope, dire emergency. It's a life or death situation."

"A patient?"

"Aha, now I have your attention."

Wilson sighed again.

"So it's not a patient."

"Nope." House paused. "Not unless she's gotten sick in the last half hour, or been knocked down by a-"

"_She_?"

House stopped rambling.

"She, as in, a certain new Doctor in your department?"

"How-"

"Well if it was someone you met randomly in a bar the most it would come to is sex, and you never seem to need advice in that area, which means it's obviously someone you work with. Cuddy of course would never give you the time of day for anything other than hounding you for clinic hours, and although I doubt if Cameron is as over you as she likes everyone else to think she is in a happily stable relationship with Chase and you wouldn't want to know anyway." Wilson paused to draw breath. "Which leaves the lovely Sam."

"_Lovely_ Sam?" House interrogated.

"Relax, I'm not planning on making a move." Wilson smiled, noticing the sudden fierceness in his friend's voice. "Though you have just proved my theory."

"So, ok." House admitted quickly, getting to the point quicker than perhaps he would usually. What do I do?"

"Don't be an ass."

"Easier said than done."

"Look, you never gave Cameron the time of day, and you pushed Stacey away just so you could stay miserable. See your big mistakes?"

House sighed heavily.

"That's if she even wants to know." He said quietly.

Wilson smiled sympathetically.

"The worst that could happen is that she knocks you back and you're miserable. The best is that you two go somewhere and you're happy for a change. You're miserable anyway so you've got nothing to lose."

House nodded, wondering if Sam was going over the same sort of thing in her mind.

* * *

Sam riffled through the shoebox in front of her. Her hands passed over letters, photos and drawings, until she came across a newspaper cutting. She removed it from the box, unfolded it and spread it out in front of her.

_MOTHER CHARGED WITH SONS MURDER_

_The mother of eight year old Jack Mathews has been charged with his murder. The 39 year-old mother of two held her sons head underwater in their bathtub until the youngster drowned. She was arrested at the Mathews family home yesterday afternoon. Mr Mathews refused to comment, though from a source we can reveal that he and his 10 year old daughter Samantha are currently staying with relatives out of town. Mrs Janice Mathews has been sent to the County Mental Institute following her court sentence, where it will be decided on whether she is to live out her 50 years sentence in prison or a secure hospital._

_Our source revealed that the family are in a state of "severe shock". _

Tears dripped onto the page as Sam re-read the horrifying report. At the time, she had not been allowed to read any of the newspapers or watch any of the news. Her father later explained that as well as some truth the journalists were also spreading vicious rumours about the rest of the family, and he couldn't allow any more stress put on her at just ten years old.

She was sixteen when she decided to visit her mother in prison. She shuddered at the memory of the bare room, the hard and coldness of it all. She remembered her mother, smiling with welcome despite the fact she was dressed in the faded blue prison overalls with restraints on her wrists. Later, Sam's father had questioned the reason behind the visit. Sam replied simply she had wanted to know why.

"_Why did you do it?__" The sixteen year old asked quietly, hugging her arms to her body. She stared at the pale, blank expression on her mothers face._

"_It was too much." She replied silently, a small smile playing across her lips._

"_You could have got help." Sam couldn't hide the bitterness in her voice._

"_No. Too difficult." Janice Mathews answered quickly, shaking her head seriously. "This was better. Much easier."_

"_You killed my brother."_

"_Yes." The elder woman let out a cackling laugh that echoed around the deathly silent room._

Sam never saw her mother again.

* * *

House hobbled into his lounge, picked up the remote and an orange plastic pill bottle and sank into his couch. He flicked the TV on and swallowed a couple of Vicodin before beginning to channel flick. He paused for a moment on the news whilst he replaced the top to his pill bottle, then looked up at the TV as he registered what the reporter was saying.

"– _child murderer, Janice Mathews committed suicide in the early hours of the morning. The 57 year old was jailed for life when she killed her young son in her own home. Jack Mathews was just eight years old when he was held under water in the bathtub until he drowned. Mrs Mathews' husband, Charles, died five years ago having never visited his wife in Prison. The Mathews' first born child, their daughter Samantha, is currently alive and living in New Jersey._

"_A man who survived a fall from a fifty-foot building is said to be-"_

House flicked the TV off and stared at the wall. He remembered the story of little Jack Mathews well; the kid killed in cold blood by his own mother. He felt a sudden rush of grief for Sam who was forced to grow up without a mother, knowing that she was the reason her little brother was in the ground. And her Dad was dead too? Five years ago… House calculated roughly in his head. Sam must have been about 21/22. Still at Med school.

She was damaged and so she had become a doctor. Just like Cameron, though in obviously different circumstances. Sam had loved and lost, been betrayed in the worst possible way, and decided she would devote her life to saving and caring. Greg House never let himself care. But he was only human; there was an aspect of him that did care about people, deep down. That aspect enabled him to become a Doctor, to save lives. It was also this aspect that did the thinking when House got to his feet, grabbed his cane and his jacket, and set off into the night.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam was sat on her couch, staring at the blank television screen. She hadn't dared switch it on, or open the still folded newspaper that was on the table by the door, for she knew exactly what she would see. The entire story would have been dragged up again, after eighteen years. Sam didn't want to examine those memories she had of the time. She tried to concentrate on before, brief memories of her Mom, bust mostly of Jack. How she helped him when he was learning to ride a bike, how she walked him to school on his first day and stuck up for him in the playground when the bigger kids teased him…

The knock at the door made Sam jump slightly; she wasn't expecting anyone. As she crossed the room she crossed her fingers that it wasn't reporters. She had gone ex-directory and rarely gave out her address but there was nothing to stop people snooping at the hospital. She knew it was a well known fact in the media world that she had become a Doctor. When she started at Med School reporters picked up on it and hounded her for days, asking her if she felt she had to be a Doctor in order to gain back family respect, or even if it was so she could sneak dangerous drugs and murder her mother in prison.

Sam peered through the spy hole and gave a small smile. She recognised that figure anywhere. She pulled open the door.

"House."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure." Sam stepped aside and he hobbled into the room.

"You er…see tonight's news?" He asked casually, looking around. There were a number of large medical books, paperback novels and photographs covering the large dresser in front of him.

"Ah." Sam sank back into her seat.

"I thought you might need a…a friend." House said quietly. He glanced at the photos, determined not to meet Sam's eye.

"This your graduation?" He asked, gesturing at the picture of a beautiful young Sam in a cap and gown, her long brown hair flowing past her shoulders.

"Yeah." Sam whispered.

House turned and sat next to her on the couch.

"You ok?"

"Fine."

"Liar."

Sam grinned.

"Everybody lies." She sang. "You want a drink or something?"

"Sure."

She got up and disappeared into the kitchen. House scanned the rest of the photos. There was one of a very young Sam, (House guessed about 7 or 8) on a beach hand in hand with an even younger boy; a more recent photo of her with a man House presumed to be her father, and her father again with the boy on his lap. That last picture House reckoned must have been one of Jack Mathews' last; he looked the same as he did in the photo the media used.

Sam returned and handed House a bottle of beer.

"You drink beer?" He asked, mocking her slightly.

"Oh shut up." Sam said, taking a swig of her drink.

"I see you don't have any photos of your Mom." House pointed out quietly, before taking a sip of beer.

"Well noticed."

House noted the bitterness in her tone.

"Do you hate her?"

"Yes. No. I don't know!" Sam groaned. "I did…but now she's gone…"

"You forgive her because she's dead?"

"No! I…I will never forgive her." Sam said strongly. "But maybe now she's gone it'll be easier to forget…sometimes."

House looked at the confused woman next to him.

"She hurt you." He whispered. "She ruined your life."

"I know." A tear slipped down Sam's cheek. "My Dad…he couldn't even stand to think about her. He never visited."

"And you?"

"Once." Sam sniffed. "When I was 16. That was the last time I saw her."

Sam, suddenly furious, jumped up and hastily wiped her eyes.

"You know what she did? When I asked her _why_? She laughed." Sam spat. "_Laughed_! At the fact that she murdered her own son! Her flesh and blood!"

The tears were pouring thick and fast. House reached out, took hold of Sam by the arm and pulled her back to the sofa, where she buried her face in his shirt and sobbed.

* * *

She pulled back, leaving a damp mark on his shirt.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Don't be." He wiped away a tear, leaving his hand softly against her cheek. He stared into her dark brown eyes.

Slowly, Sam moved towards him, closing the gap between them. Then suddenly her lips were on his. They were kissing, softly, slowly. House still had his hand on her cheek, and he lowered it to the back of her neck and in her hair. The other went to her waist, pulling her closer. He parted her lips with his tounge, but as suddenly as it had all began, it stopped as he pulled back. Sam stood up and crossed the room.

"Sam…I'm sorry. I guess that shouldn't have happened" House said quickly, getting to his feet and crossing over to where she was standing.

She turned back to face him.

"I just…I don't know what I'm doing." She whispered. "Stop me."

She closed the gap once more, and again, her lips met his.

"Sam…" House broke away slightly. "You said stop."

"House." She kissed him again. "Greg…please…"

He kissed her back, pulling her close once again. Her hands were in his hair and caressing his neck, their kisses getting faster and more forceful.

As House kissed her, thoughts began running through his mind, thoughts he couldn't shut out.

_You're taking advantage…she's vunerable…you're just using her…_

House pulled back suddenly.

"What is it?"

He stared into her eyes, but he couldn't hold her gaze so he looked away.

"I'm sorry."

He grabbed his cane and without a word left her apartment, leaving her stood in her lounge, alone.

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Please Review! More soon...


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Ok this chapter is a little shorter than usual...it's also my least favourite...I think it goes too quickly. I am currently in the middle of writing the 3rd House/Sam story (yes there is three hehe) but as soon as I am done I'm going to see what I can do with some stuff I've already written... this bit especially.**

**Thank you for the reviews! **

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As soon as she arrived at work the following morning, Sam made straight for the only person in the world to understand Gregory House; Wilson.

She was heading straight for his office when he rounded a corner, very nearly colliding with her.

"Ah, I've been looking for you." He said with a grin. "Come on."

She followed him into his office, and sat when he gestured towards the chair in front of his own.

"Right, about House –"

"How did you know?"

Wilson smiled.

"He was banging on my door at two o'clock this morning. Apparently after he left yours last night he rode around town on his bike for a couple of hours, beating himself up about the sudden exit he made."

"So…he regrets leaving?"

"Most deffinatly." Wilson studied Sam carefully. "Look, are you sure this is what you want? You and him?"

"I…"Sam stopped and looked at her hands. "He cares about me. And…I admire him. He makes me feel wanted again."

Wilson took hold of her hands.

"I understand what you're trying to say. After everything that happened in your family…well. I just need to know that you deffinatly want this. House has been hurt before, and I was the one left to pick up the pieces. He may be a pain in the ass but he has feelings too and…I worry about him." Wilson admitted.

Sam thought. She thought about House and his sarcasm, his casual insults. She also thought about what she saw in his eyes, the pain, the loneliness. She thought about the way he had looked at her last night, the feel of his arms around her, his lips on hers…and then she knew, that what she wanted more than anything in the world was be with him.

"I _do_ want this." Sam said honestly. "I want him…if he'll have me."

Wilson smiled again.

"Then I wish you luck."

* * *

House stared at the man in front of him.

"Could you repeat that?"

The man frowned. He had thought he had made his point perfectly clear to the grouchy Doctor. Nevertheless, he took in a breath and repeated his problem.

"I said I think I'm in love with my dog."

House sighed.

"Right, I'm sending you upstairs to a Neurologist. Or maybe a Psychiatrist."

"The problem is in my brain?" The man frowned again.

"Oh yeah."

The man left the exam room looking thoroughly confused.

House let out another long sigh. He hated clinic duty. He hated stupid patients, the ones that waste his time and the ones that are just plain…stupid. He especially hated Cuddy, for making him deal with these stupid patients and their relatives.

The door opened behind him.

"What do you want?" House asked, without even looking up.

"A Doctor." Said a very familiar voice.

House turned to face Sam, but before he could say anything she crossed the room to where he was sitting, and slammed her lips to his. His arms snaked automatically around her waist, pulling her onto his lap. His tounge parted her lips as her fingers found his hair, his back, his chest.

"Sam, wait." He breathed in between kisses.

"I want you." She whispered in his ear as he sucked on her neck.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

House took hold of her arms and gently pushed her back slightly. Just as he opened his mouth she cut across him.

"You don't want me though do you?" She said quietly. "You're just fooling around, playing games with me. I can't think straight!"

She made to stand but he held her on his lap.

"Listen to me."

"No you listen! I'm sick of you messing with my head! You either want me or you push me away straight off. Stop accepting me and then throwing it back in my face!" She yelled at him, finally breaking free and heading towards the door. House stood too, placing a hand on the door to stop her from leaving.

"Sam, I do want you."

She said nothing, but looked into his eyes.

"I want you. Trust me."

"Trust you?" She sounded uncertain.

House flung open his arms.

"You see this space? It's yours, for as long or as little as you want it."

Sam stared at the man who held his arms open for her. The man who's blue eyes seemed so deep and full of emotion. The man who's usual sarcastic nature had been replaced with words of compassion.

And then she gave in.

She walked into his arms and buried her face in his chest. He held her tight, whispering in her ear.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I freaked out a bit; I thought maybe you would think I was taking advantage, especially with what state you were in. I regretted it as soon as I had left. I'm so sorry."

She pulled out of his arms and looked straight into his eyes.

"I know." She whispered. "I guess I overreacted slightly.

House chuckled.

"Slightly."

And then he kissed her.

And this time, neither of them pulled back.

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More soon...please review!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: In responce to the feedback I got from the previous chapter I wrote this next one last night in order to try and slow things down a little, break it up more and show Houses' thoughts in more detail. It's a slot-in chapter between the last and the next...whoch by the way will be the last of this story.**

**Don't worry...there will be more to come...**

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When the two finally came up for air, House looked deep into Sam's eyes. He saw clearly the desire, the want, and his heart pounded as he knew it was for him. But there was something else; a darkness, a sadness. That is what held Greg House back from saying all the things he wanted to say to the beautiful woman in front of him. He knew she was hurting; after all her Mom had just died. The last thing he wanted to do was take advantage of her while she was most vunerable and needy.

"Sam…" He began quietly.

"Shh." She said, knowing in her heart what he was about to say." I want you, I honestly do. I know the timing is bad, and I know you're probably worried about taking advantage but the truth is, I've never been so sure of anything in my life."

She searched his face for a reaction, but only saw herself reflected in his piercing blue eyes.

"I've spent half my life living in the past." She continued. "And my Mom…well, it's almost like I've been freed from dwelling. Dwelling on what might have been, where I might have gone with my life. But all I want now is to move on, move forward."

He stared at her. He heard her words, took them in; he knew she was dashing his suspicions, trying quite successfully to convince him that this was right. He only hoped it was for all the right reasons, and that she didn't just see him as a way out of her grief, of her horrific childhood.

"You have to know it won't be easy." He said, not quite meeting her eye. "Being with me. It won't always be sunshine and rainbows. There'll be rain too and sometimes even storms. I hate being miserable, but miserable is who I am, who I have been for the past six or seven years. I'm not going to change, I'll still be damaged and bitter and sarcastic and whiney and a pain in the ass, but I'll be just that bit happier and less miserable if I'm with you." He finally looked properly into her dark brown eyes. "I care about you. Which means I'll probably stop you from doing certain things at work, as well as _make_ you do others," He winked at her. "But that doesn't mean I won't yell at you when we have a difficult case and you get it wrong, or that I'll take your side on something just because we're an item." He paused, trying to find the words to continue with his next point. "My leg-"

"Has nothing to do with that fact that I like you." Sam said softly but firmly. "Don't think like that. Cameron-"

"I wondered when her name might come into this." House cut across Sam who smiled.

"Cameron said you told her she liked you because you're damaged. I like you for a million different reasons, and one day I'll list them all but right now can you settle for your sense of humour, the way you fight to solve a case unconditionally without even meeting the patients, and the way in which you care so much about those few people precious to you."

"Yeah, I'm always getting caught giving Wilson a hug."

"And the fact that you always have an answer to everything." Sam finished, smiling at the man before her.

House sighed. He could do this. Couldn't he? He liked her a hell of a lot. She seemed to know what she was letting herself in for. Well, almost. They both knew it wouldn't be easy. There'd be ups and downs like every relationship but perhaps more so with them, with _him_, being who he is.

But he wanted to. _She_ wanted to. And surely that was the most important thing of all; that is what mattered. They wanted this to work so much. As Doctors they both knew how unfair, how despairing life could be. With just a little more faith in the world, in humanity, they were helping the world to be a better place.

It had been a long time since House had felt this way about someone apart from Stacey. A long time since he had said some of the things he had said, thought about some of the things he was thinking about. But in the end he knew that it would happen, that it was time once again. He was ready and willing to fight, to make it work, because he was sure now, exactly how he felt about her.

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More soon...please review!


	8. Chapter 8

She could feel the warmth of his body on her back. His arms were wrapped around her waist, making her feel secure. His bad leg rested on top of her thigh. The quilt had fallen off a while ago, but it didn't matter. He was keeping her warm. She shifted a little under his weight, and heard him let out a soft groan. His breath was warm on the back of her neck.

She thought about what had happened. After their conversation, a conversation Sam wouldn't of dreamt about having with Greg House when she first started working for him, they walked through the hospital together, keeping out of the way of their fellow Doctors – other than Chase whom they were glad to see had been discharged and was taking the day off with Cameron – and headed for the exit. They had come back to his apartment where they had given themselves to each other in an act of glorious lovemaking. Sam had forgotten, forgotten the adrenalin, the passion. And House was so soft, so gentle with her. So here they were, curled up in his bed, in his apartment, together at last.

Sam lay there, in the safety of his arms, and thought about how much she had been hurt in her life, how much pain she had gone through, losing her family and grieving alone. But it didn't have to be like that any more. She knew that one day she would feel ready to grieve for her Mother and that when that day came, House would be there for her. She made a promise to herself, right there and then, that she would be there for him no matter what. She knew he needed someone to stand by him as well as she did, so they could stand by each other. She was even prepared to put up with his casual insults, mocking sarcasm and all his other qualities that she loved so much about him. She knew it wouldn't always be like this though. She knew that there would be days when he would be in pain, days when he couldn't give a crap about anyone, days when he would snap and moan and say hurtful things. But that was because he was House, and she had to learn to live with it or not be there at all. Sam was preparing herself for those days. She told herself it was worth it, for the moments like this one, lying curled up in his arms.

Sam smiled.

House shifted a little, and drew her closer. She wrapped her arms around his, entwining their fingers together. She felt a soft kiss being placed on the top of her head.

"I thought you were asleep." She whispered.

"I thought_ you_ were asleep." He said through the darkness.

Sam turned over so that she could face him. She could make out his brilliantly blue eyes even in the lack of light.

"Hey." He smiled, and brushed her hair off of her forehead. "How do you feel?"

"Good." She said simply, reaching up to stroke his face.

"Me too."

They lay there, staring into each others eyes.

"What are you thinking?" He asked, enquiring her thoughtful look.

"That I don't think I've been this happy in…a long time."

His blue eyes stared knowingly back.

"House…_Greg_," She continued. "I…I think…"

He held a finger to her lips. She closed her eyes and concentrated on that finger touching her skin.

"I love you."

Her eyes fluttered open, and brown met blue as they held each others gaze.

"I love you too."

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The End!

Please Review!!


	9. PREVIEW:Tested Positive

**COMING SOON!**

**A Preview of the second House/Sam fanfic by sum1calledjo**

**TESTED POSITIVE**

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Sam Matthews held the sides of the toilet as she heaved. This was the third morning in a row she'd thrown up, and she had missed a period. Even if she wasn't a doctor she couldn't miss the signs. As she splashed water on her face she stared hard at her reflection. She and Greg House had been together for just over a year. She had moved in with him into his cramped apartment, she cooked for him, cuddled close to him every night, met him at work, and they spent the evenings alone together; curled up on the sofa with some film and a bowl of popcorn. Or they'd take a ride on his motorcycle to see a movie. Or go out to dinner, just the two of them, together. They were happy with the way things were. A baby could upset the whole situation, their whole lives.

"_You might not be pregnant_." Sam thought to herself. "_You might just be sick_."

But she knew there was only one way to find out.

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**COMING SOON TO A FANFIC SITE NEAR YOU!! STAY TUNED...**


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